My sister had previously taken a cruise on the Carnival Ship Fantasy and loved it. When she asked me to go with her in December of 2016, we decided to try the Fantasy's sister ship, the Ecstasy. What a thrilling adventure ! I think my mouth never closed that first day as I was taking it all in; reminded me of my first trip to Disney World. The ship was extremely clean and very well maintained. Our room was so very nice and the entire staff was quite polite and courteous which made my time so great. The food and drinks were exceptional. I can't believe reviewers that claim the food was sub-standard. There are so many choices and gifted chefs; I enjoyed each and every bite! I thoroughly enjoyed all the shows and was amazed how talented all of the participants were. Service was exemplary and the captain was very friendly and gracious. My only disappointment on the entire cruise was the kayak and snorkeling excursion. Although we had glass bottom boats, all we could see was a few fish that were not at all like the description I read; no colors or variety. The skipper kept us out way too long and by the time we got back we had very little time for snorkeling. My first vest did not inflate so I was given a second one and unfortunately that one, also, was not working. I decided to skip the vest and just get into the water, but by the time I jumped in the skipper was telling me to get out as we were running late. It was a horrible experience. This time we will go on the Segways. Embarkation and disembarkation went quite smoothly and we can't wait to return for our next cruise on the Ecstasy in three weeks.